This invention relates to an improved automatic apparatus and a method for fabricating stake flags from wire stakes and a strip of flagging material. This invention is concerned with the fabrication of stake flags which consist of a steel wire stake having bonded thereto a strip of flagging material. Such flags may also be referred to as pin flags, data flags, or survey flags and have wide use particularly by surveyors and engineers.
A principal object of this invention is to provide such apparatus which is simple and reliable in operation, and an improved method which may be practiced by such apparatus.
Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the automatic fabrication of stake flags and which provides adequate production with minimum maintenance and a method which may be practiced by such apparatus.
A more particular object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for the fabrication of stake flags, which enable the conveying of the flag stakes and flagging material at a continuous rate.
These objects are accomplished in apparatus for fabricating stake flags from a plurality of wire stakes and a strip of flagging. The apparatus includes a first conveyor means for conveying wire stakes transversely, in fixed parallel spaced relation at a continuous rate of speed; and a second conveyor means for conveying a strip of flagging at the same continuous rate of speed, and for supporting the strip in a path coincident with the path of one end of the stakes, whereby the one end of the stakes are maintained adjacent to the strip. An adhesive means applies adhesive to the one ends of the stakes and the adjacent portion of the flagging. Cutter means is disposed at a fixed station relative to the second conveyor means for severing the flagging a selected distance behind each stake, and ahead of a succeeding stake, to sever a flagging segment from the strip and to form a lead tab for the flagging segment of the stake. A rotating means rotates the stake relative to the plane of the flagging, to rotate the lead tab to a position contiguous to the trailing flagging, and to further roll the assembly of flagging and stakes to effect compression of the flagging and stake.
These objects are also accomplished in a method for fabricating marker flags from lengths of wire stakes and strips of flagging comprising the steps: conveying a plurality of stakes transversely in fixed parallel spaced relation at a continuous rate; conveying a strip of flagging, at the same continuous rate, along a path coincident with the path of one end of the conveyed stakes, whereby said flagging and said one end of the stakes are conveyed in contiguous relation; applying an adhesive to said one end of the stakes and to adjacent portions of said flagging, to effect immediate adhesion of the stakes and flagging; severing said flagging at a fixed station, behind each stake to release a flagging segment secured to that stake and to form a lead tab for a succeeding flagging segment; and rotating said stake and flagging segment, to rotate said lead tab to a position contiguous to the following flagging portion; and further rotating said assembly of stake and flagging to effect compression of said flagging and stake.
The novel features and the advantages of the invention, as well as additional objects thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.